Recorded
by littlemisswizard
Summary: Rachel Berry has a confession, and it's been caught on tape recorder by the sly Santana Lopez. What happens when Santana plays this confession for Quinn to hear? Will Quinn, and the rest of the Glee Club, come out with confessions of their own?
1. Prologue

** Hey everyone! So this is an idea for a Faberry fic that I've had for a while. I was inspired by ****.com/post/20689219974/santana-and-artie-have-great-news-for-quinn****, so I must give credit to this genius who made the gifs. This is just the prologue, stay tuned for Chapter 1. Thanks for being a reader! Don't forget to review! **

"Good news Q."

Santana strut into the room, making knowing eye contact with Artie as he rolled his way from behind the piano. She clutched what looked like a small black tape recorder in her fist. Santana tossed her sleek ponytail, her smile deepening as she held up the recorder.

Quinn felt her stomach drop. She was breathless, looking quickly from Santana to Artie and back.

"A-Are you serious?" She stammered, her palms sweaty around the pencil she had been using just before. When Santana smirked and nodded slowly, Quinn narrowed her eyes. If this was a joke, it wasn't funny.

"Trust us." Artie glanced at Quinn. She could see the honesty glowing in his eyes, but she barely believed him. Santana sighed and strolled over to Quinn, "Yes, I know you can't always trust me, but we are both into girls right?" She shrugged, tossing the tape recorder in Quinn's direction, "Here's the proof you wanted."

Quinn picked up the recorder tentatively, laying down her pencil on the paper she had been scribbling on. Finding that her own hands were trembling, she turned to Santana and squeaked, "Can you play it?"

Santana rolled her eyes and picked up the tape recorder, "I don't know what you are so nervous. Here you go, your dream come true." She slammed down the play key, and Quinn sat up in her chair with newfound hope.

_"Come on, just admit it hobbit!"_

_ "Santana…what do you want from me?" _

Quinn's breath caught in her throat. Rachel's voice sounded strained, worried, almost as if she was about to cry. Quinn didn't want to hear the mini brunette when she sounded like this, and she found her hands had clenched into tight fists.

_"Berry, I know where your loyalties lie. If you say that you are in love with Frankenteen, you are a dirty liar. I've seen the way you look at her, and by her, you damn well know who I'm talking about." _

_ "FINE! Fine, I'll admit it…" _Rachel's voice rose, shaking as it did.

_"I'm in love with Quinn." _


	2. Quinn

**Hey guys! I hope you liked the prologue, and I hope you like this first chapter too. Please tell me if anything is inaccurate to the show or if something didn't make sense, I will be happy to change and correct it. Please review, I'd love to see what you think! Thanks for reading! :D**

Quinn felt as if elephants were parading around in circles in her stomach. She kept smoothing her skirt tentatively, her eyes constantly flickering towards the door to the choir room and back. Santana, Artie, Brittany, and Mike, the audience to the tape of Rachel's confession, sat quietly and patiently. Soon, the bell would ring, and the remainder of the glee club would join them in the room. That included Rachel Barbara Berry, resident gold star and mini Streisand.

Quinn didn't want to have to see her. Now that the truth was somewhat out, Quinn didn't want to have to look Rachel in her deep brown eyes and confess her own feelings. She didn't know how she felt honestly, even with all of the late nights sitting awake in her bed, pondering her feelings for Rachel. All she knew was that whenever she spoke to Rachel, she couldn't help noticing the beauty in her well defined face and the sweetness in her smile. Whenever she watched Rachel perform, she felt her cheeks flushing, her heart beating at an unhealthy rate, her eyes tracing the curves of her body and the way she swayed as she sang. She fascinated Quinn. She was an enchanting creature, and Quinn couldn't say how she felt for her. It was unexplainable.

The last year had been a whirlwind. Quinn had a daughter, was kicked off the Cheerios, and still managed to survive it all. Now she was ready to make a fresh start with new friends and new enemies. She checked the clock, and her stomach flipped when the realization hit her. Auditions for the Cheerios were in two hours, and Quinn had completely forgot.

The bell rang abruptly in the middle of Quinn's panic attack, just as a petite figure bustled into the room arm and arm with a giant. Rachel was wearing her usual red sweater with its carousel horse and her checkered skirt, her shoes glistening in the fluorescent lights. Her straight hair was pulled back neatly by a bright red, matching headband. Her arm was twisted around the crook of Finn Hudson's elbow, as she talked animatedly to his face. As usual, he was wearing a plain polo shirt and jeans, his coffee colored hair sticking up in odd shapes. They were a poised couple, prim, proper, and picture perfect.

It's funny how things can change when someone knows the truth.

Nobody paid any attention as Kurt Hummel and Mercedes Jones hurried into the room babbling about the latest Lady Gaga music video and what should have been altered. Nobody cast a glance at Tina or Puck as they quietly snuck in and made their way to individual seats at the back of the room. Everyone silently watched Rachel and Finn as they crossed the room and plopped down in their usual seats in front and in center. Santana smirked and rolled her eyes, and turned to speak to Brittany.

Rachel sat, smoothed her hair, and sat up very straight. Her attention was obviously focused towards the front of the room, where Mr. Schuester had just entered. Quinn tried to pry her eyes off of her, since glee club was starting, but she found that she couldn't. "Come on Q, focus." She thought to herself, fiddling with the zippers on her bag, "Regionals are coming up, and the club needs you. Rachel needs you."

While Quinn tried desperately to clear her head of all Rachel Berry thoughts and Mr. Schuester blabbered on about set list suggestions for Regionals, Rachel kept glancing back at Santana. Quinn could see the flip of her mahogany hair out of the corner of her eye, and she resisted the urge to watch. Finally, she titled her head subtly to the side, and watched as Rachel turned back to face Santana. As Mr. Schuester printed out sheet music, Rachel and Santana were sitting very close together, heads bent, long hair making a curtain to protect their quickly moving lips.

Quinn felt a pang of jealously. Taking a deep breath, she faced the front of the room, and promptly ignored them for the rest of the class.

* * *

The bell rang.

The glee club scurried from their positions; some lying down in chairs, Brittany and Santana sitting a little too close together, Tina sprawled out on a few chairs with her head on Mike's lap. Quinn swept up her bag and made her way slowly out of the room, keeping her eyes on Rachel the whole time. She was speaking very quickly to Finn, her winning smile shining brightly. She pulled herself up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek gently, beaming at him as she lowered herself back down. Quinn forcefully turned on her heel and bustled out of the room.

"Wait, Quinn!"

Santana and Brittany, pinkies locked, were directly behind her. Santana held out the small black tape recorder in her palm, nodding towards Quinn, "Here, I thought you might want to keep it."

Quinn fought the urge to say, "Why would I want to keep it?" because she did want to keep it and she knew she would replay it to herself in the privacy of her own room because she still didn't believe her ears. Rachel had admitted that she was in love with Quinn, and that seemed crazy. Quinn had treated Rachel like a piece of dirt for her first full year at McKinley, and now she loved Quinn? The pieces didn't fit together. Maybe Quinn would never fully understand what had happened but she was clutching the proof in her hand now, and she had to accept it.

She had to accept what was true.

An idea sparked in Quinn's head as she strolled down the crowded, always busy hallways of McKinley High School. She tried to clear the idea out of her head. It was crazy, absolutely crazy, and Quinn didn't want to attempt anything out of the ordinary in case she regretted it later. But then again, she could hear Rachel's dramatic, bubbly laugh from down the hall, and her heart automatically fluttered. The loud sign marking that the girl's bathroom was on her left suddenly came into view, and Quinn took a sharp, unexpected turn.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Quinn hissed to herself as she slammed the bathroom door behind her. She checked beneath each of the stalls, and was delighted to find that they all were empty. She was alone.

Setting the small tape recorder up against the giant mirror, Quinn took a step back. She admired her reflection. The soft, short blond hair, the sparkling blue eyes, the broad shoulders, she was the same girl she had always been. She reached her hand out and traced the familiar reflection. An image of Rachel, her head thrown back, her sunny laugh echoing down the halls, suddenly flew into her head. Quinn's eyes darkened, her cheeks reddened, and she turned from the mirror with a start. She needed to do this.

If Rachel had the confidence, Quinn Fabray could too. She had given birth to a healthy child after all, and if that was possible, she could do anything. Decidedly, Quinn slammed her hand on the record button, and leaned forward toward the mirror, staring deep into her own, familiar eyes.

"I'm Quinn Fabray, and I am in love with Rachel Berry."


	3. Rachel

** Hello again! So I know that my chapters aren't as long as some others, but I'm working on it OK? :) Also, in the prologue I attempted to give credit to the person who inspired my story with their gifs on tumblr. The link didn't work, so I'm just going to advise you all to visit notonthelist on tumblr OK? They have the gifs that inspired this. Thanks again for all your kind reviews! Enjoy! **

"Hello again sweater elf, fancy meeting you here."

Rachel spun on her heel, looking up from the sheet music she had been sorting on top of the glossy piano in the choir room. The malicious voice belonged to Santana of course, school's resident mean girl and closet lesbian, even though it was obvious.

"Hello Santana." She replied coolly, raising her eyebrows and turning back to her work. A real star wouldn't let someone as uneducated and amateur as Santana to bother them. No matter how awful her insults were, Rachel wouldn't tolerate her.

"Sorting sheet music." Santana snickered and pushed the neat stack off of the piano, "Why don't you just let Mr. Schue do it, that's his job." Rachel watched with wide eyes as the pieces of paper swung and swayed down to a resting position on the floor, all of her hard work flowing down the drain.

"SANTANA!" A sweet voice gasped from behind her. Brittany scampered from the hallway into the choir room, seizing the papers and hurriedly stacking them up again, "Don't you know that pushing papers off of pianos is bad luck?"

Rachel took the attempt of a stack from Brittany, which was more of a pile. As Brittany explained to a patient Santana the reasons why papers and pianos were such an unlucky pair, Rachel walked to the back of the room and picked up her bags. She tried to sneak out the door without being noticed, but Santana wasn't finished with harassing her yet.

"Oh, we never said you could leave." Santana snapped her fingers at Brittany who produced a small black tape recorder from the pocket in her coat, "We have to ask you a little question."

In situations such as this one, where someone demands an answer, the key is confidence, and lots of it. Rachel treated Britt and Santana as if they were paparazzi, wanting desperately to know the ins and outs of her glamorous life. Pushing her hair back and setting her bag back on a chair, Rachel beamed at the Cheerios and happily hurried up to them.

"Of course, how can I help you?"

Santana took the tape recorder from Brittany forcefully and held it between two fingers in front of Rachel's face as if she couldn't see objects from more than a foot away. Rachel backed up slightly and tried again, "What kind of questions do you want to ask me? Is this an interview?"

Santana looked at Rachel as if she had sprouted snakes for hair, "An interview? For what? You better not be talking about the McKinley High Blabber because that 'newspaper' is complete bullshit and we all know it."

"I had an article written about me in there once." Brittany murmured quietly from behind Santana, "It was about my friend Frank. We had to dissect him and his family in Science, but I frognapped him and hid him in a bottom locker where I thought he'd be safe. I forgot that frognapping is a crime. According to the Blabber, the frognapper is still on the loose and nobody knows who committed such a crime."

Santana patted Brittany awkwardly on the back, "I'm sorry about Frank Britt, but remember, you and I are hear for another reason." Her voice turned from sweet to sour in a matter of seconds as she stepped towards Rachel, "We have questions and we need answers."

"Ask away." Rachel replied, sitting herself down and smoothing her skirt, "I can handle whatever you throw at me."

"We'll see about that." Santana faked a smile, her eyes glittering, "So I'll make this short and sweet…do you like Quinn Fabray?"

Rachel nodded and answered promptly, "Well of course I do! Everyone in glee is my family, and I support everyone in whatever they do and whatever choices they make."

Santana's perfectly manicured eyebrows were raised. "Really Berry, could you be so oblivious? We didn't mean it like that! Are you into Quinn? Do you have a freaking crush on her, as kids say?"

Rachel was completely taken aback by the question. The shock must have shown on her face, because Santana was getting frustrated. "Look, we don't have all day." She shoved the tape recorder in Rachel's face, "Me and Britts be going to Breadstix to grab lunch and crap, and lunch ends in what, 10 fucking minutes? Answer yes or no, it's not that hard."

Yes its hard, Rachel thought to herself, a simple yes or a no doesn't answer that question. Did she like Quinn Fabray?

The answer was that she liked the way Quinn smiled, the way it light up her face and made her eyes twinkle. She liked the way Quinn held herself when she walked, her head held high as if she could conquer anything in the world. It was the way she stood when she sang, her hands pulled together in front of her, a small smile playing her lips, her golden voice sending chills down Rachel's spine. It was the way she threw her head back when she laughed her contagious laugh. It was her long legs, her hips, and her petite but strong frame. The way she opened her locker and peered inside, as if she was expecting a surprise. It was the way she smiled softly at Brittany whenever she uttered something that just didn't make sense, as if she understood her all along and she knew exactly what she was talking about. It was the small things like that, that Rachel especially admired.

Quinn used to be Head of the Cheerios, and Rachel even admired her in those days. That was back when she wore the red and white Cheerios uniform with the perky skirt and the body hugging top. Her hair had always been pulled back into a flawless ponytail. Quinn's hair was the color of sunlight, and it was the most beautiful hair Rachel had ever seen.

Quinn became pregnant, crushing Rachel's heart by the idea of her crush, Finn Hudson, being the baby daddy and by the idea that the perfect, incredible, amazing Quinn Fabray could have possibly gotten herself into this tangled mess. Quinn was everything Rachel wanted, and wanted to be. Watching Quinn's journey and struggle, changing out of that sexy Cheerios uniform and into purple sweaters and soft jeans, had been a privilege for Rachel. It had opened her eyes to the real Quinn Fabray, whose true colors were even more beautiful than how they had been before. Rachel wanted to help her in some way, but helping someone who hates you with a burning passion is not an easy task.

It was senior year. Beth had been born, and yet, Quinn hadn't returned to the Cheerios. The girl who sat quietly in glee club every day, sweetly observing her peers as they belted out songs and fought over the spotlight, was the girl that Rachel liked the most. She was Quinn, just Quinn, and that "Just Quinn" was enough for Rachel.

Every time she walked into a room, Rachel felt the atmosphere change. She wasn't sure about other people, but when Quinn into the room, Rachel's heart always skipped a beat. She felt her face flush at the sight of the beautiful blond, and she was at a lost for words whenever they spoke.

And the way she looked at Puck with warm emotion in her eyes…

"Am I in love with Quinn?" Rachel asked quietly, her voice slightly hoarse. Santana and Brittany shared a look, and Rachel worried that maybe they already had an idea of what that answer may be.

"I-I'm not going to answer that. Not with the recorder right there."

Santana tensed, and Rachel could sense the anger coming. She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Fine", neatly sticking the tape recorder down her bra. She turned back to Rachel, eyes flashing, "Come on, just admit it hobbit!" She barked suddenly, as Brittany watching with terror written all over her face.

"San…" She made a move to pull Santana back, but Santana pushed her arm out of the way and walked right up to Rachel, staring down on her, demanding an answer.

Rachel couldn't believe they would ask such a question. What was this for, and how did they know? She truthfully didn't know what her feelings for Quinn were, but that shouldn't even matter. She was dating Finn Hudson, and Rachel thought he was the perfect boyfriend. He was sweet, goofy, and all around lovable. But sometimes she felt like he was a toy draped over her arm, and trying to think about her feelings made her head ache, so she just accepted him. He liked her a lot and he treated her well, that's all that mattered.

Couldn't Santana just accept that this world that Rachel Berry lived in was more complicated than her own?

Rachel found that there was a lump in her throat, and she managed to croak out, "Santana, what do you want from me?"

"Berry, I know where your loyalties lie." Santana retorted, flipping her sleek ponytail behind her, "If you say that you are in love with Frankenteen, you are a dirty liar. I've seen the way you look at her, and you damn well know what I'm talking about."

Rachel couldn't hold in the tears any longer. They dribbled from her eyes, and she placed a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from sobbing. She needed to be strong, she needed to be brave, she needed to be the star that so brightly shone from within.

"FINE! Fine, I'll admit it…" Rachel's voice rose, shaking as it did.

"I'm in love with Quinn."

* * *

There was silence as Santana titled her head slightly, smirking and considering what Rachel had to say. "There you have it." She said with a satisfied grin to Brittany, "That's all we need from you Rachel."

Rachel covered her mouth with both hands, the tears spilling faster and harder down her cheeks and hanging off her chin. She couldn't believe the words she had just uttered. What had she done?

* * *

"I told you I have awesome gaydar."

Santana couldn't wipe the satisfied smirk off her face if she tried. Brittany was trailing behind her, her hands behind her back. She watched with wide eyes as Santana reached into her shirt and confidently pulled out the tape recorder, slamming a button down, "We got it Brittany."

"What do you mean?" Brittany titled her head to the side slightly, eyeing Santana suspiciously, "I know you wanted to know if Rachel liked Quinn or not, but why?"

Santana spun around with sudden frustration, but this was Brittany, and she needed to keep her cool. With a deep breath, she composed herself, and began to explain. "Have you seen the way they look at one another? Whenever Rachel sings, Quinn gets the biggest freaking puppy eyes, and she basically explodes with love. Same way with Rachel, she can never take those murky eyes off of her. I know I have awesome gaydar, and I'm going to put it to good use. Besides…" She added, flipping her ponytail and casting a confident grin towards Brittany, "Quinn wanted to know."


	4. Etches

**Thanks for the awesome support and feedback guys! I love reading reviews, it's the best feeling in the world. :) I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! **

"I never _wanted to know _what Rachel thought about me."

Quinn could feel her cheeks hardening as she blushed. The girl's locker room was a flurry of movement around her, girls showering and changing from today's particularly tiring gym class. Quinn collapsed on a wooden bench, wiping the sweat from her forehead and taking a swig from her water bottle. Brittany stood beside her, slipping herself into a bouncy yellow and white sundress.

"That's what Santana told me." Brittany said matter-of-factly, as if this was a perfectly qualified answer to the question, "She said you wanted to know if Rachel liked you or not."

"No, that's not what I said!" Quinn's face flushed again as she pulled herself into clean clothes, "Last week I told Santana that I was pretty sure Rachel hated me, after all, I've been nothing less than awful to hear. A couple days ago in history, she passed me a note asking if I still wanted to know what Rachel thought of me. I said yes, but I didn't know what she was going to do!"

"Nobody could have predicted what Santana was going to do." Brittany smiled gently at Quinn over her shoulder as she strapped her sandals on, "That's the special thing about Santana. She's unpredictable, and you never know what you are going to get with her. I choose to love her unconditionally. I recommend you do the same."

"Unconditionally love the biggest bitch I know. Yeah right." Quinn rolled her eyes and took another sip of her water bottle, "Anyway, are you guys coming to the Cheerios tryouts after school today?"

"Um, duh." Brittany narrowed her eyes at Quinn, "Why? Are you a spy from the Caramels? Are you going to sit behind the bleachers and watch us every move to figure out how to beat us at Nationals? Is that it?"

"I remind you that the Caramels is Carmel High's cheerleading team, and that I go to McKinley." Quinn giggled and tossed her a look, "No, I just…I was considering going to the tryouts myself. You know, I think I'm ready to finally make a new start at McKinley. I'm determined to do well this year. I must gain my lost popularity back, and I _must _be a Cheerio again. Besides, I miss the competition and the ponytails. Do you have a change of exercise clothes I can borrow for this afternoon?"

"Of course, I have an extra pair of pants and a shirt." Brittany replied, passing Quinn the clothing, "You never know when you will encounter acid rain."

Quinn turned from Brittany so she didn't notice the huge grin that had spread across her face. "Thanks Britt." She said relieved, packing the clothes into her bag.

"Well well well." Brittany slung her own bag over her shoulder and turned to Quinn with a sweet smile, "Looks like we finally have old Q back."

If only she knew, thought Quinn. This year had only just started.

* * *

"Why was Artie in on the whole situation with Rachel?"

Quinn was trailing behind Santana and Brittany, as they bustled quickly down the hallways of McKinley, arm in arm. Santana sighed and shook her head slightly, turning over her shoulder to face Quinn, "Wow, you aren't obvious at all. You really care about this whole thing don't you? Like the attention?"

"No, it's not that." Quinn hurried to keep up with the Cheerios, "I just want to know how Artie was in on it." Blushing slightly, she added, "I don't think Rachel wants her thoughts and feelings projected for the whole glee club to see, and already you two, Artie, and Mike know."

"I just needed someone to tell. This is juicy stuff, Berry admitting to be in love with you when she has a monster boyfriend. But really, why do you care? Don't you hate Rachel?' Santana cast a knowing look at Brittany who giggled and covered her mouth. Quinn swallowed hard.

"Anyway Quinn, its nothing to be embarrassed about." Santana sighed and examined her nails, "Rachel likes you, and there's nothing you can do about it. People may tease her and slushie her, but why should you care? She brought it upon herself."

"I do care."

It was like a dark cloud on the horizon, slowly approaching, unavoidable.

Quinn felt hot tears spring to her eyes, so she turned away and muttered, "I'll be right back."

Santana and Brittany made eye contact, and Santana shrugged, "Well isn't _someone_ touchy. Don't miss History, it starts in 5 minutes."

* * *

Quinn bolted toward the bathroom, clutching her books to her chest. She was terrified by the idea that Rachel could be harassed if the secret got out. She _did _care. Quinn didn't want Rachel to be blamed and hurt for just having feelings. Quinn would never want to be treated that badly because of her feelings, and she wanted the same for Rachel. She was terrified of what could possibly happen if people found out, if the school found out. And then there was the small black recorder in her bag…

The bathroom door clicked behind her, and Quinn heaved herself into a stall. She collapsed to the floor, rummaging in her bag for the recorder. She gripped it tightly, pressing it up to her cheek, longing for Rachel's melodious voice to tell her over and over, "I'm in love with Quinn."

"I'm in love with you too Rachel, I love you, I love you, I love you." Quinn had reduced to sobs, the sounds of tears echoing around the empty bathrooms, echoing off the plastic blue walls of the stalls where endless etchings have been etched. Her trembling hand traced the words that people had cut into the plastic ages ago, messages that would have faded if they weren't fueled by such love, hope, and compassion. Quinn sat for a moment, her tearstained eyes mulling over the messages. "R + J = Always," "A true friendship lasts forever," "Peter, you were the greatest dog a girl could ask for. Have fun chewing those delicious bones wherever you are big buddy."

Quinn pressed her palm to the side of the stall, pushing herself up to her knees. Her eyes followed the messages as they twisting into a tornado of letters, covering every inch of the stall wall. Her eyes flickered over a sentence, and she noticed that the bubbly handwritten was somewhat familiar. "Did you know dolphins are just gay sharks?" She read, her fingers tracing the letters as she skimmed over them, "I love you my dolphin, my shark, my Brittany."

She knew who had written the message. She just didn't expect Santana to be so brave as to write the message to Brittany on the wall in a public bathroom. True, it wasn't in clear sight, for it was in the upper corner above the toilet. Quinn glanced over the rest of the stall, the hundreds of messages and love letters written from someone in love or from lover to lover. The recorder still lay on the floor, right at the base of the toilet. Quinn picked it up and set in gently in her bag, before reaching for a black sharpie. She uncapped it, nervously sticking the cap on the end.

Biting her lip, scanning the walls, Quinn found that the corner opposite the one Santana had written in was perfectly clean. Her tears had dried, but her heart was heavy. Her mind was working on its own, and Quinn found her hand gently moving across the wall. She wrote neat letters, printed in a line where the top of the stall ended.

I love you Rachel Barbara Berry.

Quinn's breath was coming in shaky gulps, and she lowered herself onto the toilet seat, gripping the sides so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her vision was blurred with tears. It was like a monster was inside of her, clawing her insides, desperate to come out. She didn't even know who she was anymore. Lucy Quinn Fabray was a stranger, and this new girl who had just wrote "I love you Rachel Barbara Berry" on the wall of a public bathroom stall was also a stranger.

Quinn had lost herself.

* * *

Rachel always looked forward to History with Mrs. Kaman.

It was a good class, the topics they discussed were always interesting and the students actually did their work, which was a rarity. History was usually peaceful, which was a nice break from the passing notes and constant whispering of the other classes. Rachel always had a good time, paying attention as well as she could and tracing hearts in her notebook around the initials "R + Q".

She only used the notebook for homework of course, so she wasn't worried about anything seeing what she had drawn. She didn't know whether she had a crush on Quinn really, but she was endless fascinated by the beautiful blond. She wanted to be her friend at least. She wanted to be her everything. Rachel and Quinn was how it was supposed to be, how Rachel always dreamed it of being.

Quinn, Brittany, and Santana were in the same History class as her. Rachel sat in the back of the room, while the trio sat in the same proximity in the front. That meant that Rachel could daydream and watch the blond at her leisure. It was weird to think about how much she did like Quinn. Tracing her initials with Rachel's own didn't seem like such a big deal, but if everyone else discovered it, it would be.

Rachel confidently strode through the halls of McKinley High School, her bag under one arm, and her handsome boyfriend on the other. Finn had been expressing his worry about Puck, how his grades still weren't picking up and this was _senior year. _Rachel had politely been listening, but had not really given much thought to it. She was too anxious to lay eyes on Quinn.

Rachel watched with wide eyes as Brittany and Santana made their way into the History classroom ahead of them. They were arm and arm, standing very close together, their noses almost brushing as they whispered and giggled amongst themselves. Rachel felt a sudden rush of warmth.

"Well, looks like we're here." Rachel turned to face Finn, grinning up at him. He _was_ very cute, his deep brown eyes and his sweet little smile. He leaned down and kissed her quickly on the nose, before leaning back and smiling at her. "I'll see you later." He whispered, his sideways smile shining down at her. Rachel couldn't help but smile a little, but it felt like she was working all the muscles in her body just to smile at him. "See you later." She replied quietly, as Finn leaned down. She could feel a kiss coming on, but a sudden familiar flash of blond in the corner of her eye stopped her. She smiled awkwardly, stepping back a little from Finn. Rachel could see the hurt in his eyes, the confusion radiating off of his body. Before she could do anything more stupid, she sidled through the crowd and stepped through the entranceway to class. The blond hair from before had just been a Cheerio, kissing her boyfriend one more goodbye.

Quinn never came to class. Every time she saw the slightest movement outside the closed door to the classroom, Rachel quickly glanced up. She added a dozen hearts to the maze of drawings that adorned the inside cover of her notebook. She could feel Quinn's absence. The usual sense of warmth and color in the room was gone, leaving the room cold and gloomy.

Before Rachel knew it, the bell rang, and not one shred of information from today's lesson had transferred into her head.


	5. Tryouts

**Hey guys! Thanks for all of the lovely comments and reviews. I really appreciate the feedback. I'm very excited about this story, so expect chapters to come every other day or so. As long as I have interest (for motivation), I'll be inspired and make sure to keep them coming. Thanks for reading :)**

"I see that we have a mother in our midst."

Quinn heard the lazy drawl as she crossed the football field toward the silver bleaches. The bleachers shone bright white in the sun, blinding her vision. As she shaded her eyes, Quinn could make out the familiar shape of Coach Sylvester perched on one of the lower rows of bleachers. Red and white track suit, yellow and red megaphone raised to the sky, she was exactly how Quinn remembered her.

Quinn let the insult slide off of her like rainwater. Whatever Coach Sylvester thought of her no longer mattered. She was trying out for the Cheerios again, and she would make it. No one could stop her.

Tossing her ponytail in what she hoped was an intimidating way, Quinn shook her head slightly and jogged up to Santana and Brittany. The duo were warming up, equipped with water bottles and latex bands. Brittany rested her leg on Santana's shoulder, reaching out and gripping her toes. Santana was fooling around with the latex band, wrapping it around her fingers and pulling to stretch out her arms. Quinn placed her own water bottle on the bleachers, making a move to join them. However, Santana tossed her a dirty look and nodded to Brittany, "Come on Britt, let's hang with the other Cheerios."

"She thinks you're trying to steal her Cheerios Captain spot!" Brittany called over her shoulder as she was dragged towards the other half of the field, hand in hand with Santana. Quinn had completely forgot about Santana being the Cheerios Captain. Of course, it was expected that Santana would get nervous about Quinn trying out again. It was all stressful for Santana, but Quinn was going to get the position. There was nothing to worry about.

"All girls here for the female Cheerios tryouts please drag your lazy ass over here so we can start already."

The message crackled through the megaphone as Coach Sylvester spoke at an unnecessary and obnoxious level of volume. The girls made their way over to the lanky blond woman, some dressed in ripped shorts and off the shoulder tops, and some Cheerios, flaunting the tight uniforms that were already in their possession. Quinn bit her lip, trying not to feel intimidated by all of the Cheerios trying out again. Santana and Brittany were among them, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. Quinn stepped beside Brittany, as she felt Santana's burning gaze on her back. She tried to remain positive, but butterflies erupted in her stomach.

What _if_ she didn't make it?

Quinn tried to brush the idea out of her head. Coach Sylvester knew her, and she knew how hard Quinn worked as a Cheerio. She had been the captain and she had rocked it. Of course she would make it, Q had always been the star of the Cheerios, and that star Cheerio still lived inside of her. Quinn lifted her head high, and attempted a smile at Coach Sylvester as she explained the process of the tryouts in her monotone drawl.

"I want you girls to start off by cartwheeling. I know it's easy, but I want you to cartwheel across the entire football field. No questions, just do it. Line up one by one on the left side." Raising her megaphone to her pale lips, her grey eyes observing her candidates, she barked, "LETS GO!"

One by one, the girls crossed the field. Some cartwheels were shaky, involving the girls collapsing on the matted grass, and some were perfect, the girls turning like a pinwheel, over and over again.

Brittany and Santana stood in front of Quinn. She watched as Brittany turned perfectly across the field, her long, slender legs twirling as she smiled and supported herself strongly on her arms. Santana beamed at her, and Quinn felt a spark of jealousy at their relationship. They appeared as just friends, but Quinn had a slim feeling that they weren't.

Santana cartwheeled neatly in front of her, and in the blink of an eye, she had crossed the field and it was Quinn's turn. Quinn smiled sweetly up at Coach Sylvester who was observing from an upper bleacher, and began to cartwheel. The first few went smoothly, as Quinn easily kicked her feet into the air and pressed her hands into the firm soil. With the feeling of spinning in space, she realized just how long it had been since she cartwheeled. She hadn't even practiced doing anything for the tryouts.

Quinn felt herself turning faster and faster, her cartwheels picking up speed. The entire world was a blur, green, blue, the yellow of the fading sun, all colors were melting like candles in heat, and Quinn's stomach turned dramatically. Her hands slipped suddenly, completely losing grip of the blades of grass between her fingers. She found herself slamming into the land, the entire side of her body making intense contact with the ground.

Quinn lay there. The side of her body was throbbing horribly, and she felt wet tears building up in her eyes. Pressing her hands to her face, she gulped in the chilly, fall air. She could hear people moving around her, the soft voice of Brittany, the sharp sneer of Santana.

Footsteps pattered around her like raindrops on a windowsill.

* * *

The bell rang.

"Finally." Rachel muttered under her breath, seizing her bag and hurriedly slinging it over her shoulder. She pulled her long brown hair to the side, maneuvering her way through the throng of students trying to press their ways out of the classroom. She had forgotten her sneakers in the girl's locker room from gym earlier this morning. Losing anything for Rachel was a rarity, and she was relieved that she had remembered.

Shoving the giant blue doors of the girl's locker room open, Rachel dashed over to locker 143. It sat in the corner, a bit isolated from the rest of the lockers, the last on its row. Rachel liked using it because it meant that she didn't need to socialize with anyone else changing, and that she could quickly put on her clothes and run to the next class. Rachel Berry was always on time.

Placing her bag gently on the bench, Rachel flipped the locker door open promptly. She expected her sneakers to be there, laid neatly in the back of the locker, just where she had left them. This wasn't the case.

A yellow and white bag sat in the center of the locker, adorned with a lovely pattern of painted daisies. It was unzipped, the contents exposed to the dull light of the dim locker room. Rachel knew she recognized the bag, and she frowned, reaching forward to examine the tag on the zipper of the bag. She turned it over. It was shaped like a daisy, and it had a name printed on it in a graceful cursive.

Quinn Fabray.

Rachel's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly shoved the bag back in its place and slammed the locker door shut. The crack of metal on metal echoed through the empty room, and Rachel shut her eyes closed, breathing hard.

Curiosity killed the cat.

Forget that.

Rachel silently swung the locker door open. She stopped for a moment, drinking in the contents of the bag with her eyes. It looked like mostly clothes, neatly stacked in piles. Rachel recognized Quinn's outfit from Glee club earlier that day, along with her phone and her textbooks. An unfamiliar object caught her eye, shiny, standing out, yet somewhat invisible in the dark light of the locker. She reached forward, grabbing the object in her hand and lifting it up to examine it. The familiar thin shape, the warm temperature that displayed that it had been held many times before...it was Santana's tape recorder.

Rachel's stomach dropped as the events of the morning all came back to her. Santana's snicker, Brittany's plea, the cool tears dripping down Rachel's cheeks, the embarrassment, the confusion. Had Quinn heard the recording?

Rachel felt the world spinning around her. She fell onto a nearby bench, pressing her back against the wall, the recorder slipping out of her hands and slamming into the floor. She took shaky breaths, shaking her head slowly. She wouldn't let herself worry about Quinn and the recording. She hadn't heard it yet…had she? She had been missing in history too, what was that about?

Everything was a mystery, and Rachel demanded organization in her life. She needed the answers. She needed to talk to Santana and Brittany.

Seizing the recorder from the ground, Rachel sprinted out the door of the locker room, running as fast as she possibly could towards the football field. She expected that Cheerios practice was going on as it usually did every other day or so after school. She rounded the corner of the hallway, and ran smack into an approaching figure.

"Rachel, what are you doing here?"

The concerned voice of Mr. Schuester reached her ears, as she picked herself up from the ground, blushing bright red. "I had to get something." She muttered, before smiling as confidently as she could muster up at the teacher, "See you later Mr. Schue! Have a nice day!"

As Rachel bustled towards the doors to the field, she noticed the familiar shapes of Santana and Brittany as well as a few other Cheerios kneeling over a shape on the ground, smack in the center of the giant field. Rachel squinted her eyes, walking up to the glass door and pressing her forehead against it, trying to decipher what was happening without adding to the scene. Her finger bumped against the "Play" button on the recorder absentmindedly, as her eyes soaked in what was going on.

"I am Quinn Fabray, and I am in love with Rachel Berry."

Rachel was barely listening, trying to figure out why all the girls standing on the field had quickly assembled a crowd. A few girls stepped aside, and Rachel watched in horror as Brittany and Santana lifted a crumpled blond figure off the ground and draped her over Brittany's shoulder. The short blond hair, the princess like features, the heart shaped face, the small, sweet lips. Her heart sunk deep into her chest, and she slowly lifted up the recorder, again pressing the play button tentatively with her thumb.

"I am Quinn Fabray, and I am in love with Rachel Berry."

Tears blurred her vision. Rachel slowly stepped back, her fingers trembling as they traced the shape of the recorder. She watched, terrified, as Brittany, with help from Santana and a few of the other Cheerios, carried Quinn off the field. The remaining girls stood awkwardly on the field, watching as Coach Sylvester made her way down the bleachers to instruct them.

Rachel spun on her heel and dashed down the hall. Tears mottled her vision, and she tried to steer herself as she ran, but it was becoming harder and harder to see. She was overwhelmed by emotion.

Quinn loved her, Quinn was hurt, Quinn, Quinn, Quinn.

Collapsing onto the ground, Rachel leaned against the wall in the empty hallway to catch her breath. Gripping the recorder to her chest, she heaved a shaky sigh. She didn't know what to do or what to think.

She left her shoes in locker 143.

* * *

Coach Sylvester watched with narrowed eyes as Quinn Fabray cartwheeled across the field. She was the same girl, under all of those stretch marks and traumas that had happened in the past year or so. Quinn's legs were still straight, her arms still strong. She was still very flexible, despite the fat she gained to hold her baby. Her cartwheels were still the same, confident, precise, fast moving.

Coach Sylvester needed a true leader to captain her team, and Santana just wasn't enough. Sure she was determined, brave, daring, and organized. She kept the team under control. However, nothing could ever top the grace and the confidence that Quinn showed while handling the team, and Sue Sylvester would admit, she missed Q.

Then there was the sound of a body smacking into land, and Coach Sylvester's thoughts flew out the window.


	6. Tongue Tied

**Here's the update! Thanks to my friends who helped me develop this chapter a little, as well as the same friends who always look over and edit my chapters for me. I couldn't do this without your awesome editing skills. Thanks guys, and I hope you like the chapter! Also, I'd like to remind you all that this story is not strictly Faberry. I hope to expand it and make the story include all of the glee club, focusing on different characters and different pairings at their own times. I'll weave in and out of storylines, so make sure to tell me if something doesn't make sense. Thanks! **

"Now that we have the x-rays, and we should have an answer back in no time."

Quinn sat on a medical table in the Lima Emergency Room, her legs dangling off the edge, surrounded by a mixture of people from doctors to Cheerios. Brittany and Santana each were sitting in chairs, both very silent. Sue was in the corner of the room, explaining with an extremely frustrated tone to yet another doctor what had happened.

Luckily, the emergency room wasn't that far away from McKinley, so they didn't have far to travel.

"Don't worry Quinn, I know it's painful, but you're not critically hurt." The doctor assured her. Quinn knew that, she wasn't worried about it at all. She had broken bones many times as a child, and she was almost accustomed to the pain.

Nodding quickly, she turned to Brittany and Santana, "Hey, would you guys mind driving me to school, I left all of my stuff in the girl's locker room, including my phone and everything."

"We'll get it." Santana replied promptly, standing up and grabbing Brittany's hand. It was obvious that she was ready to escape the sharp smelling, well scrubbed emergency room. The idea of being alone with Brittany might have made a difference too.

"OK, thanks." Quinn smiled at the pair. She knew Santana was still pissed at her for "trying to steal her Cheerio's captain spot", but she believed that she would heal. Santana had rage, but she also had a heart.

As the Cheerios made their way out the door, the doctor who took the x-rays bustled in. "Good news." He announced plainly, "You aren't badly hurt. You broke a wrist."

The room buzzed with the announcement, and Quinn attempted to bend her wrist. Up till that moment she thought the pain had originated from her elbow, but sure enough, her wrist felt like a billion needles stabbing into her skin, and it brought automatic tears to her eyes.

"You're badly bruised in other places, but that's no problem." The doctor continued, "So you will be in some pain for a week or two. Luckily, broken wrists are very common, and a simple cast will fix it."

"A cast?" Quinn was somewhat shocked, "But what about school? I need to be able to write, and then there's Glee club, and…"

"Don't worry, it won't be for long." The doctor, a man in his 50s with graying hair explained, "And even though it may be a little hard to write or do everyday things, it's temporary, and I'm sure people will be willing to help you."

Quinn's jaw dropped, and she swallowed hard before continuing, "But isn't that a little extreme? It's a broken wrist! I've broke arms and been able to do more than that!"

The doctor ran his hands through his hair, sighing deeply. Quinn felt bad for a second. He looked so frazzled, the fact that he had explained this a million times and was sick of it was evident on his face. Quinn bottled her frustration and turned, nervous to see Sue's reaction. Her face was solemn, her eyes contained intense emotion.

"Come on," She beckoned to Quinn carelessly, "Off the table. Just because your wrist is broken doesn't mean you can be lazy."

* * *

"Come on Britt."

Santana grabbed Brittany's hand as they dashed through the halls of the emergency room, heading towards the parking lot. Brittany flashed Santana her sweet smile, gripping her hand and following in her footsteps. Santana felt her stomach flip over and she turned her head so the blond didn't see the vibrant red of her blush.

It was getting darker, and stars were beginning show their faces. The moon shone silver in the corner of the sky, and cast a romantic moonlight on the parking lot, silhouettes of cars casting long shadows on the walls of the building. It was chilly, and Brittany pressed her shoulder against Santana in order to keep warm. The parking lot was empty, and Santana glanced around quickly before snaking her arm around Brittany's waist. The blond rested her head on her shoulder, her hair flipping in her face bringing the strong smell of flowers and dew with it. Both girls dived into the car and situated themselves.

Once in the car, Brittany held up a CD with a picture of a girl's face on it.

"Let's listen."

The girl's eyes were giant, innocent, baby blue, and her hair was chocolate brown with vibrant streaks of rainbow in it. Of course it would be this CD, this was the only thing Brittany listened to, and had listened to for the past year.

The album cover was hauntingly beautiful, and Santana knew the song.

_Take me to your best friend's house, _

_Goin round this roundabout, _

_Oh yeah _

Brittany opened the car windows and stuck her head out, singing at the top of her lungs to make sure that every house in Lima, Ohio could hear her. She balanced with her knees on the seat, her torso stretched out of the car. Santana giggled, watching Britt out of the corner of her eye as she drove.

_Take me to your best friend's house,_

_I loved you then and I love you now,_

_Oh yeah_

Her blond hair fluttered in the wind as she sang, her arms spread open on either side of her like in the Titanic. Her head was thrown back as she laughed, clapping, whooping, spreading sounds through the frozen, silent night air.

_Don't take me tongue tied,_

_Don't wave no goodbye,_

_Don't...break_

On the last line, Brittany screamed at the top of her lungs before collapsing into a fit of giggles. "BRITTANY!" Santana shrieked giddily, one hand on the wheel and one hand reaching over to pull the blond back in the car. Both girls screamed and laughed hysterically, while the car swerved dangerously to the right.

"Whoa!" Brittany placed her hands gently on Santana's, helping her to get a grip on the wheel and steer the car back to safety, and they neatly slid into the McKinley High parking lot. "Good job driver." Brittany joked, leaning over and pecking Santana lightly on the cheek. Santana felt her cheeks grow very hot.

The pair hooked arms and jogged together towards the building. Brittany grinned at Santana, jumped and clicked her heels together like a leprechaun. Santana smiled a little, shaking her head at Britt.

Santana's heart was alive with a strange feeling just from the mere minutes she had spent alone with Brittany. Her heart was thumping out of her chest, and she could barely take her eyes off the blond. Sure, she had always felt special about Brittany, but watching her shadow dancing in the moonlight slightly ahead of her made her want to lean over and kiss her.

And kiss her, and kiss her.

Santana attempted to swallow this feeling, as they swung open the doors of McKinley and made their way towards the girl's locker room. Brittany walked slightly ahead of her, admiring the posters on the walls of the hallway.

Santana felt something clinking in the pocket of her Cheerios jacket. Frowning, she dug into her pocket, and her fingers closed around a long, thin shape. She gasped and pulled out a recorder. Didn't she only steal one from the choir room?

Tossing the recorder between her hands, she called out ahead of her, "Hey Brittany, I found an extra recorder. I'm going to have to return it."

"OK, I'll get Quinn's stuff." Brittany began to skip down the hallway, her feet clapping against the shining floor like a horse galloping. Santana smiled to herself, and headed towards the choir room.

All of the lights in the hallways were off, the trickles of moonlight glittering through the windows and the doors. Santana made her way up to the choir room door, pressing her hand against the cold surface. It was pitch black inside, except for the sparkles of light dancing and reflecting on the piano. She placed her hand on the knob and turned it, expecting the door to slide open with ease as it usually did.

Locked. Of course, she shouldn't have expected anything else. Santana felt her legs transform to jelly with the exhaustion collected from the day. She placed her back against the door and slide down so she was sitting on the floor, fingering the recorder in her palm.

Now that she had helped Quinn to the emergency room and in a way, made even more of a spectacle out of the situation, Santana wasn't sure she would make the Cheerios again. Coach Sylvester liked things to run smoothly and professionally, and even if the interruption was for safety reasons, she wasn't going to like it or like anyone related to it. Santana didn't have to worry anymore about Quinn taking her spot for this reason, but what if she never made the Cheerios again? The Cheerios were everything to her, the one thing she took pride in and cared about besides Glee club. They had made her popular, got her friends and followers, and led her to Brittany.

Brittany.

Santana rested her head against the door, a flood of emotion leaking into her as the events from the day slowly seeped into her head. Rachel's recorded confession, Quinn's obsession with the situation once she heard, the fall during tryouts, the drive from the ER, Brittany's smile while she stood up in her seat, head out the car window, singing her heart out.

Santana loved Brittany, she truly did, and she knew that. She just couldn't always bring herself to accept it. From the moment they met, Santana adored the special spunk that Brittany always had, the never-ending stream of optimism. They had become fast friends, and as friends, they were extremely close. Santana always felt so comfortable with Brittany, comfortable enough to make out with her on occasion. She felt like such a real person with her because Brittany accepted her for who she was, and Santana didn't need to put on the bitchy mask. When she was with Brittany, she was at home.

Brittany knew that Santana loved her too…or did she? Santana had told her on multiple occasions that she loved her, but it was never in a serious way. After all of the times Brittany had said it to her, Santana's reply had always been more staged, such as "Of course I love you too Brittany!"

Pressing the "record" button on the recorder, Santana pressed the object to her lips briefly. "I love you Brittany." She whispered, blushing soft pink when she realized what she had done. It was Rachel's method of admitting to Quinn, why couldn't she do it too?

"I love you, I love you, I love you." Santana felt tears biting at her eyes, and she swallowed hard, "I am truly in love with you Brittany S. Pierce. I just wanted you to know that." Her voice faltered at the end, and Santana pressed her eyes shut, willing a single tear to slide out.

Wiping it away hurriedly, she picked herself up the ground and began to run towards the girl's locker room. She was a coward if she couldn't tell this to Brittany's face. True, it was easier to say it when she was alone, but Santana wasn't known for taking the easy way out.

"Brittany!" She called down the hall, clearing the lump in her throat, "I have to talk to you!"

"Yes?" The voice mumbled from the back of the locker room, and Santana navigated herself through the maze of lockers until she was face to face with the beautiful girl.

She had been rummaging through Quinn's bag, probably scavenging for a snack or something only Brittany would want to look for. Of course she was invading Quinn's space and privacy, she didn't know better. Santana leaned forward, her lips brushing Brittany's ear lightly, a mere tickle.

Pressing the recorder into her hand, Santana softly whispered, "Listen."

Brittany glanced at Santana, her eyes warm and curious. She looked down at the recorder in her hand and pressed the "play" button.

"I love you Brittany. I love you, I love you, I love you. I am truly in love with you Brittany S. Pierce. I just wanted you to know that."

Brittany's clear blue eyes were wide. She stared at the recorder in silence for a while, her pink lips pursed, and her cheeks pale pink. Finally, she lifted her head and made strong eye contact with Santana. "I love you Santana" was all she said.

The girls wrapped their arms around one another, lips locked, the force of the kiss so strong it picked Brittany off the ground. Brittany squealed and buried her face into Santana's shoulder, her legs wrapped around Santana's waist.

Sure, there were tears in Santana's eyes, but they were tears of happiness.

* * *

The cast was red and white and very stiff.

Quinn had made sure to request for Cheerios colors for her cast to prove to Coach Sylvester that she was still dedicated to the team. Even though Coach S only rolled her eyes when she heard those were the colors Quinn wanted, Quinn had hoped it would make somewhat of an impact.

The locker room was humid, sweat radiating off the bodies of the girls who just got out of gym. Quinn slipped past the girls changing, and made her way towards locker 143. Santana and Brittany never returned her bag to her. Figures, they probably got caught up with one another in a shower or something, knowing those two.

Quinn bumped past a few girls with a small, "Excuse me." She reached the locker, quickly pulling it open and dragging her bag out.

Light filtered into the locker, illuminating the space inside. As Quinn pulled out the bag, she noticed a dark shape in the back of the locker. She reached in, and grabbed the familiar shape of shoes.

They were purple and white, the shoelaces frayed, the sides stained with streaks of mud, proving that the shoes had been used many times. Quinn recognized them, but she couldn't exactly place a finger on where she had seen them.

Her bag was unzipped, and as Quinn reached to zip it, she remembered. If her bag had been unzipped, that meant the recorder would be exposed. Panic suddenly erupted in her stomach, and she dug into her bag, the absence of the shiny recorder suddenly obvious.

The recorder wasn't in her bag or her locker. Quinn bit her lip, nearly ripping her clothes from the other day as she tugged the contents of her bag out in order to find the recorder. She never got the chance to do whatever she would want to do with the recording, which could have been finding a way for Rachel to hear it.

Quinn felt her heart sink. There goes her dreams of being able to hold Rachel's hand in the hallways, kiss her beneath the stars, sing with her arms around her in glee club. She actually hoped that something would happen if Rachel heard the recording, something would come out of it. And now it was lost, and her hope went with it.

Quinn slowly slid her bag over her shoulder, a gaping hole in her heart. She gently picked up the sneakers and made her way out of the locker room, she would put them in the lost and found in the school office.

Fingering the frayed laces, thinking about Rachel Berry, one thing led to another and something clicked in Quinn's brain. These were her shoes. These were Rachel's sneakers that she wore to gym every class, that she ran track with, that she sometimes wore to glee club only before she could sit down and change into her ballet flats.

Rachel took the recorder.

_*The song featured is Tongue Tied by Grouplove. It was also featured in the Nationals episode of Glee season 3. _


End file.
